During a special ceremony at tonight’s Committee of the
Whole
meeting, student representatives from the Thames
Valley District
School Board presented a cheque for $247,399 to the Canadian Red
Cross Tsunami Relief Effort. The money was raised in a system-wide
campaign held in schools and administrative offices throughout the
past week.

"I have never been more proud of our schools, students, and
staff than I am today," said Director of Education Bill
Bryce. "I want to extend my sincere thanks to the entire
Thames Valley community for responding with such overwhelming
generosity to this crisis. You have demonstrated without question
that ours is a Caring, Learning Community. To raise this much
money in only a week is an absolutely extraordinary
accomplishment."

The money will be used by the Red Cross to provide necessities of
life to victims of the tsunamis. It was formally donated by
students from Beal SS, Lord Dorchester SS, Westmount PS, Algonquin
PS, and Southwold PS on behalf of schools across the District.

"Our schools were immediately and completely behind the
campaign from the moment it was launched," Director Bryce
said. "Our students were touched by the images and stories
that came out of the tsunami. They wanted to help and they have
made an outstanding contribution to the relief effort."

"I have been amazed not only by the amount of this donation,
but by the genuine concern the kids have shown," Woodcock
said. "They have been motivated by a pure and inspiring
desire to help less fortunate people without any agenda or
politics. This has come right from their hearts, which I think is
a promising demonstration of what the future holds for the global
community."

I have the distinct pleasure today of announcing that, as of this
morning, Thames Valley’s fundraising efforts have generated the
extraordinary total of $252,212 - over one quarter of a million
dollars - for the Red Cross Tsunami Relief Effort.

I want each and every one of you to know how proud and grateful I
am for the work that you have done in the past week to raise this
money. The overwhelming generosity that our schools, work sites, and
communities have shown is a great testament to the compassion that is
the heart of our Caring, Learning Community. This is truly an
inspiring event in our Board’s history and one in which we should
all take great pride.

I am personally touched to know how deeply our students have been
moved by the experiences of other people in distant places. Thames
Valley’s campaign is the success it is because our students have
taken this very worthwhile cause to heart. Their energy and ideas have
been, in many cases, the catalyst for this wonderful accomplishment. I
hope you will share with them the Board’s heartfelt thank you which
was formalized by motion at the meeting on Tuesday evening.

The money we have raised will be put to excellent use. It will
provide desperately needed medicine, clothing, food, clean drinking
water, and other necessities of life to thousands of people who are
suffering. It will help bring comfort to communities that have been
ravaged by this terrible tragedy. We are fortunate to live where we
do, but events like this one remind us that we are not isolated, and
that we have much to offer our friends and neighbours in the global
community.

The crisis has not ended. While now is an appropriate time to
reflect on our success, we must remain diligent in supporting Red
Cross and other worthy tsunami relief efforts. I want to thank you
again not only for the work you have already done on this campaign,
but for the work that I know you will continue to do. You are all a
tribute to the Thames Valley District School Board and I applaud you
for this remarkable achievement.

Sincerely,

Bill Bryce
Director of Education

One special week becomes a busy Tuesday
...

Last minute donations by:

Clarke Road SS

John P. Robarts PS

Counting the money.

Special delivery to the Red Cross.

The formal presentation.

A Message From the Director to All StaffJanuary 3, 2005

As we return to
work this week, the global community is faced with an urgent and
difficult challenge. While most of us are fortunate to have enjoyed a
safe and happy holiday, hundreds of thousands of children and their
families in Asia have seen their lives completely changed as a result
of the tsunamis that have devastated the region.

I know our system is eager to join the rest of the world as it
mobilizes to provide aid and relief to the victims of last week’s
tragedy. Accordingly, I am designating this week as a special
fundraising week throughout the District with the goal of donating at
least a toonie for each staff member and student on behalf of the
TVDSB to the Canadian Red Cross Asian Tsunami Relief. Funds
will be used to provide clean drinking water, food, medication and
other necessities of
life for those who have been tragically impacted.

Time is of the essence. I am asking that you begin publicizing the
campaign throughout your school community and collecting donations as
soon as possible.

I would greatly appreciate it if you or a staff member at your
school/worksite would coordinate your campaign, collect donations and
prepare the school/worksite cheque. Please make the cheque payable to
"Red Cross Asian Tsunami Relief" and forward to Theresa
Levschuk, Executive Assistant in the Director’s Office, by
Wednesday, January 12, 2005.

I encourage all staff and school communities to support this critical
relief effort. With your help, we can demonstrate the heart of Thames
Valley’s Caring, Learning Community and provide urgent assistance to
those in desperate need.

BILL BRYCE
Director of Education

The challenge is on to raise funds for
Thames Valley's Tsunami Relief Effort. Students at Lord
Dorchester SS raised $300.00 in three hours Monday, and issued a
challenge to all schools to get involved and help the Red Cross in its
international disaster appeal.

Students at London's Chippewa Public
School count and roll change they collected as part of Thames
Valley's Tsunami Relief Effort. So far, the school has raised more
than $300 that will help the Red Cross supply necessities of life
to victims of last week's disaster.

Students of Southwold
PS (Elgin) spent the day counting their school and community
contributions to the Thames Valley Tsunami Disaster Relief Effort
and found they had raised $2,508 in less than three days. The
school expects even more will be raised before the Thames Valley
campaign closes at the end of the week.

Students from Norwich
District High School do their part to aid victims of last
week's tsunamis, gathering donations from their peers and teachers
that will be contributed to the Red Cross Tsunami Relief
Effort.

Pupils of Byron
Northview PS (London) counted $2,000 in Tsunami Relief Effort
donations Friday after a busy week of fund raising among students,
teachers, parents and the community at large. All funds raised
within the Thames Valley system are being donated to the Canadian
Red Cross.

The staff and students of London's
Laurier Secondary School collected more than $3,000 for the
victims of the Asian tsunami. The money will be included in the
Board's donation the Canadian Red Cross Tsunami Relief Effort.

The staff and students at River
Heights PS in Dorchester built a special rainbow in the
school's main hall to show their support for the victims of the
Asian tsunami. Each circle in the rainbow represents a toonie
collected for the Red Cross Tsunami Relief Effort. To date, the
school has raised more than $1,200.

Throughout the past week, Thames Valley's
schools and work sites have been hard at work on behalf of the Red
Cross. Here's a look at the schools in action!

Sir Georges Etienne Cartier PS

Woodland Heights PS

Montcalm SS

Nicholas Wilson PS

Northdale PS

Plover Mills PS

Prince Andrew PS

South Ridge PS

Springbank PS

Ealing PS

Teachers at North Middlesex District High
School sacrifice hair, eyebrows, beard, and mustache for the
Relief cause.

Stoneybrook
PS (London) students were producing their own special Tsunami
Relief Fund CD song Friday and getting ready to sell it throughout
the community. Music teacher Jane Burkman wrote the song on New
Year's Eve with the chorus: "I know we are half a world
away./ But we keep thinking of you./ In some small way./ Each and
every day".